Growing the Team, Leading with Culture, & Lessons on Building Trust

Hey Everyone,

As White Studio grows, so do the lessons I’m learning about leadership, teamwork, and building a culture that resonates beyond just delivering great work. Every day, I’m discovering that as you move up in any organisation or start building a team, about 90% of the role becomes managing people. Right now, I still do some client work myself, but more and more of my day involves ensuring our work gets done on time and with the quality our clients expect.

The Leadership Learning Curve

Managing a team has been a massive shift. I’ve been exploring different management styles—autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire—trying to find the right mix. For me, it’s a balance: sometimes you need to take charge, and other times, you need to let people bring their own creativity and ideas to the table. And I think about how I would want to be managed. If I were difficult or overly rigid, people might stick around, but they’d eventually leave or produce low-quality work. But when you’re understanding, supportive, and encouraging, people are more willing to go the extra mile. It’s all about creating a culture that people genuinely want to be a part of.

Building Culture Through Connection

I believe in building strong cultural values that go beyond the tasks at hand. I aim to hire people I genuinely connect with, people I’d be friends with outside of work. I’m also big on connecting with my clients, most of whom are international—from the UK and Spain to Canada and the U.S. I always tell them, “One day, I’ll come see you.” And while part of that is about building rapport, it’s also a small trick to cultivate longer-lasting relationships. When clients feel like they’re working with a real person who genuinely values them, they’re more likely to stick around. For me, it’s a way of building trust, showing that I’m here for the long haul.

A New Chapter: 1-on-1 Coaching

Recently, someone reached out asking for 1-on-1 coaching, which is still surreal to me. What started as me sharing my journey has become a resource for others, and I’m grateful for the chance to help people on a deeper level. I’ll be opening a few limited spots for coaching, so if you’re interested, feel free to book in a free discovery call: https://calendly.com/personal-zacheojoffre/30min?month=2024-11.

Thanks for reading and being part of this journey. I’ll keep sharing the wins, the struggles, and everything in between as White Studio continues to grow.

Here’s to building, leading, and learning every step of the way,

Z